Under the bottom

An underwater archaeological team has been diving and excavating core samples for the past week from Browns Creek.

The purpose was to ensure that a new intake line Arab Water Works wants to bury in the creek bed will not destroy old graveyards or other significant archaeological sites that have been underwater since TVA flooded the wide creek plain in 1939 while creating Guntersville Lake.

The good news for AWW is that preliminary findings show the route for the 36-inch lines - part of a $6.6 million upgrade - shouldn't disturb anything more than sediment and clay.

That was expected, but from a purely archaeological standpoint, said Dr. Michael K. Faught, the findings were less than spectacular.

"It was not exactly Atlantis," he laughed, lighting up a weathered face under a braided ponytail.

"But it's intriguing and a good way to make a living and protect resources."